Space
by Bandbabe
Summary: Eli raised his eyebrows to the roof when he realized the entirety of Adam's dilemma. "I wouldn't tell her! Your mom is cool about things now, but she's unpredictable. Seriously, don't even consider it!" – Adam/Fiona pairing!; Post-"How To Save A Life"
1. Decisions

"Space"

Summary: Eli raised his eyebrows to the roof when he realized the entirety of Adam's dilemma. "I wouldn't tell her! Your mom is cool about things now, but she's unpredictable. Seriously, don't even consider it!" – Fiona/Adam pairing!; Eli/Clare/Alli friendship; Post "Wanted" and "Daylight".

Author's Note: This is a **timeline fic**! It takes place roughly two weeks after the fics "Wanted" and "Daylight", and a month after "How To Save A Life".

It's set in April of Adam's **Junior year** at Degrassi and occurs before "The Wedding" (also set in April).

_For a complete listing of the timeline stories, visit my Author's Profile_ :D

Categories: Romance/Friendship/Family/Humor/Angst

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

><p>-oOo-<p>

"It feels like we're sneaking around," Fiona admitted.

Adam looked at her, taking in her pensive expression. It was night time and they had retired to his room not long ago. This issue had been building for the past couple of weeks. Every since they had resumed the intimate part of their relationship they began to feel a little smothered. If they wanted time together and it wasn't the middle of the night they had to come up with an excuse. It was exhausting and by now they were scraping the bottom of the barrel.

"I know," Adam sighed. He wasn't sure what to do. When he and Fiona started dating his parents weren't thrilled. His mom was set against it for a long time, but now things were excellent between them. Fiona was welcomed here anytime and was allowed to stay over. He didn't want to rock the boat.

"Maybe we should tell them that we need space," Fiona suggested. She winced at her own words. She didn't think his mom would react well to this at all. Being on the bad side of that woman scared her. However, she strongly felt if they wanted to be treated like adults they had to act like adults. If they continued as they were, eventually someone was going to catch them. Fiona didn't want a repeat of the time his mom walked in on them.

Adam looked at her for a long moment. "You're right."

"Of course I am," she teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Adam smiled at her and brought his hands to her waist. He then leaned forward and kissed her.

When he pulled away he cupped her cheek. "We'll figure this out," he said decisively, even though he wasn't sure how yet.

-oOo-

"And that's how I beat level 16," Eli finished.

Adam smirked at his friend. He had just given him a detailed description of his progress with a new game they both had wanted. Eli camped out at their local video game store two days ago. Adam wanted to go with him but his mom wouldn't allow it. The older boy waited on line for fourteen hours but from what he described it had been worth it.

"Lucky bastard," Adam said with a touch of awe.

Eli's grin widened. "You know it! Anyway, drink up! It's on me."

They were at the Dot. Adam suggested they go after school. He seemed distracted though, as if something was on his mind. Eli watched him take a long sip of his coffee.

"There! Feel better," the older boy laughed.

Adam snorted. "Thanks mom!"

"Anytime son!" Eli retorted.

The two boys laughed.

"Okay, you had me waiting long enough. What's eating you?" Eli asked curiously.

Adam sighed. "Well… I kind of need your advice," he said cryptically.

Eli furrowed his brows. "With what?"

Just then Clare and Alli entered the restaurant.

"Hey guys!" Clare said brightly. The two girls promptly sat down at their table.

Adam took another sip of his coffee to hide his annoyance.

Eli gave Clare a lopsided grin. "Oh, nothing much. I was just about to give my worldly advice to our young grasshopper, here."

Clare smiled at him. "You're so very kind," she teased. He shrugged.

"Advice about what?" Alli asked curiously.

Adam sighed. "It's kind of a guy thing," he declared. He gave Eli a pointed look.

Clare and Alli shared a look. They realized they may have been a little presumptuous by joining their table without asking first.

"We can leave if you want," Clare offered solemnly.

Adam bit his lip. Now he felt like a jerk. Eli was frowning at him and he looked away.

"No… You don't have to," he said reluctantly.

"Are you sure?" Clare questioned. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable. The past two weeks Adam had been his old self again. She didn't want to rock the boat.

Adam looked at her. He recognized the concern in her voice and he hated it. "Yes," he insisted. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe I could benefit from having multiple opinions on this."

"Well, what is it?" Alli asked. She was dying to know.

Adam paused.

.

tbc

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><p><span>AN: This fic is a four-shot. Will update soon!

**Reviews rock! :D**


	2. Opinions

"Space" - part 2

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! And wow, I appreciate all the faves and alerts :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

><p>-oOo-<p>

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Eli assured him. Now he wished he hadn't droned on about the video game for so long. He and Adam had almost a half hour to themselves where they could have discussed whatever was troubling him.

"It's fine," Adam asserted. Internally, he debated whether or not he should tell them. He didn't want Fiona to get mad at him. But then again, she knew he relied on his friends to get advice from time to time.

He decided to bite the bullet. "So… Every since I got back from the hospital my parents have been really great. They allow Fiona to stay over and we all get along now."

Eli nodded. He was aware of this development and was happy for his friend.

"Things are pretty awesome but… we kind of feel smothered," Adam continued.

Eli laughed. "Needing space are we?"

Adam vigorously nodded. "Yeah. You have no idea!"

Alli furrowed her brows. "Why can't you just tell them that? I don't think it's crazy that sometimes the two of you want to hang out on your own."

Adam nodded. "I know, but I know my mom. She'll do better for awhile and then we'll end up back at square one. The only way to really get her to back off is if she knows _why_ we need space."

Clare was confused. "Why wouldn't she get it?"

Eli raised his eyebrows to the roof when he realized the entirety of Adam's dilemma. "I wouldn't tell her! Your mom is cool about things now, but she's unpredictable. Seriously, don't even consider it!" he said alarmed.

Alli frowned at him. "What are you talking about Goldsworthy?"

Adam sighed. "I thought you would say that. But if we keep going as we are, eventually we're going to get caught."

Clare blinked as it dawned on her what he was referring to. "Oh."

Alli looked at her, still out of the loop. "What?"

Adam and Eli shared a look. "Do you want me to tell them?" Eli smirked. This was going to be good.

Adam frowned at him and shook his head. He turned to his friends, not quite sure of how to phrase it. "Fiona and I… we're having sex again," he ripped the band-aid off. He stared at his hands for a few seconds before daring to look up. As predicted both Clare and Alli were looking away. He felt uncomfortable too.

"Well played!" Eli encouraged him, hoping to break the tension.

Adam sighed again. "Anyway, it's been two weeks and we're running out of excuses. It's driving us mad."

Alli looked at him. "Since you returned to school?" she questioned. He came back to Degrassi about two weeks ago.

He nodded. He and Fiona had made love for first time in three months on a Friday. The following Monday he started classes again.

"I thought you seemed happier than you had in awhile," she noted. She wasn't going for laughs, but her comment made Adam and Eli chuckle.

"You can say that," Adam joked.

Clare wanted to be helpful, but she could see why he had wanted to discuss this with Eli alone. "So, what did you guys decide?" she asked, hoping to move the conversation along.

Adam looked at her. "We don't know what to do! We don't want someone to walk in on us again. That was thoroughly horrible last year!" Eli smirked as he nodded in agreement. Adam continued, "Fiona thinks if we want to be treated like adults, then we need to act like adults. So that's why we're debating if we should say something or not."

"I could see why you would want to avoid telling your parents," Clare acknowledged. "So why can't you just opt for nighttime when everyone is sleeping."

Eli snorted. Clare glared at him.

"We do! But Fiona has her internship so she has to wake up early. Waiting for everyone to go to sleep every night cuts into her rest," Adam responded.

Alli raised an eyebrow. "Every night?" she questioned mischievously. She couldn't help herself.

Adam quickly shook his head. "No, not every night. She was getting sleep deprived!"

Eli laughed heartily, though he honestly couldn't tell if his friend was joking or not.

"We mix it up. Sometimes early in the morning, evenings at the condo, or occasionally before dinner in my room," Adam continued.

Clare and Alli didn't know what to say to that. Adam fought the urge to wince upon realizing that may have been TMI.

Eli grinned at him impressed. "If you keep that up it's not_ if_ you get caught. It's _when_ you caught!"

Adam looked at him. "This is why I asked you for advice!" he pointed out.

"That sounds like a lot. I'm surprised you guys haven't been caught yet!" Alli finally spoke up. It seemed like they were making up for lost time, but it sounded rather risky to her.

Clare nodded in agreement. "If you don't want to tell your parents, maybe you should cut back."

Adam made a face at that suggestion and Eli howled with laughter.

"Dude, you are my hero!" the older boy quipped.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Adam said solemnly. Realistically, it didn't seem sustainable.

Eli had an answer ready, but Clare beat him to it.

"I think Fiona is right. You need to tell them why you need space. Now, they might tell you she's not allowed to stay over anymore, but one way or another they're going to eventually find out," she told him.

.

tbc

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><p><strong>Review! They're lovely to read :D<strong>

BTW, for those who don't know... TMI = too much information ;-)**  
><strong>


	3. Telling

"Space" – part 3

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Looks like it's time for the moment of truth...

Anonymous - Quite a dilemma indeed :D We'll see how he handles it. Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

><p>-oOo-<p>

"Dad, can we talk?" Adam asked shyly.

Omar Torres looked up from his paper. He had been catching up on the day's events in the den. The TV was on in the background, tuned to the sports channel. He found his younger son standing near the doorway. He smiled at him.

"Sure, take a seat." He motioned for Adam to take a sit down on the adjacent couch. Omar was sitting in his favorite chair.

Adam glanced around. He wasn't sure if this area was private enough for the conversation he wanted to have. "Um, do you think we could talk somewhere else?" he said quietly.

Omar furrowed his brows. "What's this about?" he questioned.

Adam fidgeted.

"Forget it. Let's head to the office first," Omar quickly said, noticing his son's discomfort. He stood up and placed his newspaper in the chair.

The two of them walked down the hall to the office. It was a small room with a computer, desk, and a few bookshelves. Audra usually used the space when she worked from home. Omar also did so on occasion, but mostly he could be found here on Saturday afternoons, managing the family's finances.

He allowed Adam to walk in first, and then he closed the door behind them. Omar studied his stepson. Though the boy was doing his best to keep a neutral expression, Omar could tell that Adam was nervous. It made him worry a little. He settled into his seat and plastered on a smile.

"So, what would you like to discuss?" Omar asked.

Adam hesitated. Inside he was freaking out a little. Maybe this was a bad idea. Perhaps he should have listened to Drew and just try his best not to get caught. He mentally shook himself. Fiona had a point. If they wanted to be treated like adults then they needed to act like adults. This conversation would likely be awkward, but it was necessary.

"Um… It's about me and Fiona," he started.

His father looked at him expectantly. "Yes?"

"We, uh… We need more space." Adam held back a wince. That wasn't smooth at all.

Omar furrowed his brows. After a moment he had a wry grin. "Your mother has been rather attached since you left the hospital. She doesn't mean to smother you, she just worries. I'll talk to her about easing up."

Adam grinned. "Thanks Dad."

Omar smiled. "Of course, son. I know you guys prefer to hang out one on one sometimes," he continued.

Adam nodded. His Dad had no idea.

"But your mother worries about you travelling to the condo. She told me that you asked about heading there this afternoon."

Adam shifted in his chair. He wondered where this was going. "Yeah, Fiona needs to pick up more clothes."

"She asked me if I'd drive you guys there and back. Let me know when you guys want to leave," Omar told him.

Adam frowned. This wasn't what he intended when he told his mom that he and Fiona were going by the condo later on. It was clear that their excuse had fallen through.

"Is something wrong?" Omar asked.

He took a deep breath. "No, we need _space_."

The room was quiet for a long moment and he studied his hands in his lap. When he found the courage to look up again, his dad looked back at him with comprehension.

Omar had a small smile on his face. He understood what his son was trying to tell him. Audra wasn't going to like this new development one bit. He wasn't looking forward to discussing it with her tonight, but for the moment he allowed himself to feel proud of his son. This bode very well for his recovery, indeed.

"I see. Are you coming back tonight?" he asked.

Adam blinked. He didn't realize he had a choice. "Um… yeah," he responded awkwardly.

Omar chuckled. "Okay. Don't worry about your mom. I'll talk to her."

Adam was thrown by his dad's response. "You're cool with this?" he asked slowly.

His father let out a laugh. "You know, I was once a teenage boy," he said in jest. Adam grinned. "What I'm saying is, I get it. And I'm happy that you came to me about this. I know it's not easy, but I appreciate that you're being upfront."

Adam nodded. "I didn't want to say anything," he admitted. "But the alternative was too scary."

Omar laughed heartily as he shook his head. "Oh, I remember the fallout," he said amused. "We need to establish some ground rules so that doesn't happen again."

Adam swallowed nervously. "Will Fiona still be able to stay over?"

Omar sent him a sympathetic look. "I can't say. Your mom and I need to talk."

"Right," Adam said quietly.

"So, do you guys need a ride?" Omar asked, switching to a more neutral topic.

Adam made a face. "Um, I think we're going to call a cab."

Omar gave him a knowing smile. "Suit yourself."

-oOo-

Audra blinked as she processed what her husband just told her. She knew Adam and Fiona were a couple, and she expected them to resume that aspect of their relationship someday. Still she felt blindsided by the news. It felt too soon. The trauma they all had endured so recently was fresh on her mind.

There were many nights when she had woken up in a cold sweat, fraught with worry about her son. She had nightmares where they reached him too late and Adam was gone. She had gotten better with calming herself down and filing the frightening thoughts away, but it all felt so raw.

She loved her son with all of her being. She was thankful beyond measure that he seemed okay and was doing much better. She truly believed he had beaten his depression. On some level, she recognized that being intimate with his girlfriend again was a sign he was moving forward with his life. Still, she found it difficult to wrap her head around. When she thought of Adam and Fiona, she remembered how they were in the hospital.

After his suicide attempt, he and Fiona quickly bridged the divide that developed between them when his depression took hold. The girl had been there every single day. More than once Audra had come into his room and found Fiona holding Adam as he sobbed uncontrollably in her arms. It was a heartbreaking sight.

Audra would quietly step back outside to give them privacy. The moment she closed the door she would burst into tears of her own. She would wonder why this had happened to her son. Why did Adam have to go through so much in his young life? It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. She prayed that he would recover from it. Now she knew he was getting there.

.

tbc

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><p><strong>Reviews = Awesome..<br>**

Next part is last part!


	4. Verdict

"Space" – part 4

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Final chapter guys! Thanks for following and enjoy :D

To the folks I can't PM -

Anonymous - Thanks for the review! Yeah, Omar seems to be a great guy :)

FADAMisMYlife - (Great username btw!) Thanks for the kind words!

Rating: T (so there's no lemons y'all)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

><p>-oOo-<p>

"Are you sure about this?" Adam asked Fiona as they walked up the porch. They had just returned from her condo, where they spent the whole afternoon together.

She nodded. "Yes. We have to be a united front if we want to be taken seriously," she insisted.

He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too. Let's do this."

Adam took out his key and opened the door. They walked into the house hand in hand. The foyer was dark but as they entered the living room, they could see his parents had been waiting for them. The young couple shared an apprehensive look.

"We need to talk," Audra said and stood up. "Follow me."

Minutes later they settled around the dinner room table. Adam and Fiona sat next to each other on one side. His parents sat across from them. He felt Fiona fidget nervously, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"So, your father and I had an interesting conversation this evening," Audra broke the silence.

Adam and Fiona were quiet as they waited for her to continue.

"It seems we're in need of some new house rules," she said.

Adam held back a groan. This wasn't unexpected. He was hoping for the best, but clearly his mother was who she was.

"Adam," she said. He looked up. "And Fiona." His girlfriend looked up as well. "I know you two would like time alone, but I'd rather you spend it at the house."

Adam opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand.

"I'm not saying you can't go to the condo, but I don't want you to feel like if you want privacy you have to leave."

Adam stared her confused. "What do you mean?"

Audra glanced at her husband. "We want to revise the house rules so that everyone feels comfortable. You guys have been in a committed relationship for quite some time now. I don't think it's unreasonable that sometimes you want to spend time together in your room. I'm not just talking about sex."

Adam flinched when she mentioned that. He looked at Fiona and saw she was in poker face mode. He was a bit envious because he knew his face was probably turning red.

Omar turned to them. "We've discussed it and we're proposing a new closed door policy. If you want to hang out uninterrupted keep the door closed. If you're in your room but you don't mind company, then keep it ajar. When entering a room, one will knock beforehand and wait for verbal consent as to whether or not they should proceed," he explained.

Adam nodded. It sounded reasonable. He looked at Fiona and they shared a relieved look.

"We ask that the two of you be discreet and considerate of everyone else in the house," Audra pressed. "Do we have an understanding?"

Adam blinked. "Of course!" he answered quickly. It wasn't like now they were going to go at it with wild abandon! They hadn't been caught so far and they certainly planned on keeping their amorous liaisons under wraps in the foreseeable future.

"Yes," Fiona said politely. At times, less was more. The conversation with his parents was going well, but it was incredibly awkward. She saw the light at the end of the tunnel and couldn't wait for it to be over.

Audra smiled. "Good."

There was a short pause.

Adam leaned forward is his seat. He was eager to leave this conversation behind. "Is that all?"

Audra and Omar looked at each other. "One more thing," his mother said.

He groaned and leaned back in his chair. He could feel that this discussion was going to take an even more uncomfortable turn.

"Are you guys being safe?" she asked.

Adam furrowed his brows in confusion. "From what?"

He turned to Fiona and she looked equally confused.

"I mean, there's a zero percent chance of pregnancy and we're monogamous, so there's no chance of getting any STDs," Adam reasoned. His situation had a lot of drawbacks, but not having to worry about teen pregnancy was a major bonus. Sometimes he wondered if he and Fiona would hook up as much as they did if they had to.

Audra had a wry grin. "I'm aware of that," she told him. "I still think you need to be careful. I know you guys are very committed, but you're young. If anything ever changes–"

"It won't," Adam said sternly, barely restraining his anger at her insinuation. "Fiona and I are going to be together for the rest of our lives, mom. We're not breaking up and we're not sleeping with other people."

Fiona nodded. "I love your son. He's the only one I want to be with, now and always," she affirmed. "I know Adam feels the same."

Audra sighed. She didn't doubt their love for one another. She was concerned because they were young and people make mistakes. Last fall Adam _cheated_ with some other girl. Who's to say what the future would bring? She just wanted them to take precautions, even though she wasn't sure what that fully entailed.

She was about to respond when she felt Omar touch her elbow. She looked at him and he shook his head, ever so slightly. She decided to hold her tongue, just this once. They had broken a lot of ground tonight and she didn't want to end their discussion with hurt feelings.

"Okay," Omar told them, bringing the topic to a close.

-oOo-

"That was the most awkward moment of my life!" Adam grumbled as he plopped down on his bed.

Fiona softly laughed. "More awkward than when your mom walked in on us?"

Adam grimaced at the memory. "You know what I mean!" He buried his face in his pillow.

She smiled and rubbed his shoulders. "Well, the worst is over. We're back in your room and I'm still allowed to spend the night. Let's focus on happy thoughts!"

He looked up and grinned at her. "Oh, yeah?" he remarked as he remembered the closed door policy.

She recognized the look in his eyes. "I don't think we need to test out this new arrangement tonight, but I'm on board for tomorrow."

Adam laughed and pulled her close. "That works for me!" he said excitedly, causing her to laugh as well. He leaned over and kissed her.

.

-FIN-

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><p><span>AN: If Fiona's regularly staying over at the Torres residence, I figured they would need to have a frank discussion like this at some point! And so, the idea for this four-shot was born.

As previously stated, this story takes place _after_ "How To Save A Life", "Wanted", and "Daylight".  
>Which means, it's <em>before<em> the stories: "The Wedding", "On A Mission", the "Bare" series, and "Long Weekend"!

Lots of fics listed, haha! But, as you guys know the timeline series keeps growing :D

Thank you for reading!

-Cheers!


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